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Basketball Q&A with Bill Clinton

March 12, 2010 , ι BRIAN LEWIS

Former president Bill Clinton -- noted hoops nut and proud Georgetown alum -- was in the Garden last night taking in the Big East quarterfinals. Once I -- veeeery cautiously and politely -- squeezed... Read on

Former president Bill Clinton -- noted hoops nut and proud Georgetown alum -- was in the Garden last night taking in the Big East quarterfinals. Once I -- veeeery cautiously and politely -- squeezed through the Secret Service phalanx around him, Clinton was kind enough to give me (and another reporter) a lengthy interview between games of the evening session.
	 
Here it is:
	 
Q: What do you think about these games?
	 
Clinton: Every one of these games has been good.
	 
Q: And they've all been upsets.
	 
Clinton: But they're not really. They're upsets in number only, because all these teams are going to the tournament. The Big East Tournament is not like any other tournament. All the teams are going to the tournament, and the officials are letting them play Big East basketball. They let them play defense. They let them play the game. And as a result, the lower seeds actually have a chance.
	 
For example, Syracuse lost today — to my alma mater, but I love both those teams — but they went from being up nine to down nine. They had a lot of turnovers, Syracuse did, and Georgetown just didn't miss. Syracuse couldn't make a layup. ESPN said that they still felt that Syracuse should be a No. 1 seed, but Georgetown's seed will be much better and will allow them to accelerate their chances of going further in the tournament.
	 
Even though Marquette had already played Villanova to two points, once up there and then down in Philly, and everyone was treating them like underdogs. Now Marquette will get a remarkably better seed. But I don't think it'll affect Villanova's seed very much. And Notre Dame? They're just on fire. But Pittsburgh's still a really good team. These teams are all really, really good.
	 
That (Notre Dame win over Pitt) was a particularly good defensive game.
	 
Q: I grew up in D.C. watching Georgetown, so I like defensive games. You enjoy good defensive games?
	 
Clinton: I love John Thompson. I saw that he was bursting with pride today and every time the cameras on him he was trying to be passive, but you could tell he was bursting with pride.
	 
Q: The quarterfinals are usually good.
	 
Clinton: The quarterfinals always have the best games. The six-overtime game (Syracuse won last year) was in the quarters. I stayed up for that whole game, all night. I had been working and got back up to Chappaqua and I stayed up to the last second of that game. I watched it all. Up until 1:30 (a.m.)''
	 
Q: You still have a rooting interest for the rest of the tourney?
	 
Clinton: I always cheer for Georgetown. But there are other places where I know people. Like the student body president at West Virginia was one of Hillary's friends. The chancellor at Pittsburgh — I just learned this — came to the University of Arkansas for a job interview in 1975 and the commissioner (John Marinatto) just told me that Hillary and I took him to dinner. We were on the faculty together. It's crazy who you run into.
	 
I'm just happy to be here. I'm a huge basketball fan. And Arkansas wasn't very good this year so when I'm not rooting for them, I love Syracuse. I like (Jim) Boeheim.
	 
Q: But when Syracuse plays Georgetown?
	 
Clinton: And I like Louisville. (Rick) Pitino and I have become friends. But that Syracuse-Georgetown game was a good game today. And it wasn't like Syracuse folded. I mean, Georgetown just played out of their minds. So there's nothing to worry about Syracuse and seeding in the tournament. If they play a good team in the tournament and they go 5-for-19 or something from the free-throw line and have a lot of turnovers, they're going to have a tough time in the tournament.
	 
If you think about it though, that's like a 20-point blowout. But it actually wasn't. I mean they got a couple baskets at the end, but they still played pretty well. I don't think you can discount them.
	 
Q: When Georgetown played Syracuse this afternoon, who were you rooting for in that one?
	 
Clinton: I had to root for my alma mater. It's hard for me to root against them, even if it is Syracuse. I think that win will help Georgetown more than it will hurt Syracuse for the tournament. Remember, North Carolina lost the same game (last year). They lost in the semifinals of the ACC (Tournament). But they went on to win the national championship. So it's not all bad.

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Fraschilla slams St. John's for thinking of axing Roberts

March 11, 2010 , ι By JUSTIN TERRANOVA

Fran Fraschilla knows better than most the sound of the St. John’s ax being sharpened. The former Red Storm coach ripped St. John’s after The Post broke a story that Norm Roberts will not be retained... Read on

Fran Fraschilla knows better than most the sound of the St. John’s ax being sharpened.
	 
The former Red Storm coach ripped St. John’s after
	 The Post broke a story that Norm Roberts will not be retained at the end of the season.
	 
“St. John’s does not have a very good track record when it comes to hiring and firing coaches,” said Fraschilla, who was fired after coaching the Red Storm into the NCAA tournament for the first time in five years in 1998.
	 
VAC'S WHACKS: WHAT NOW?
	 
Fraschilla was let go by the university after reportedly dropping his pants in the locker room as a way of challenging his players’ manhood. St. John’s hired Mike Jarvis to replace him. Jarvis led St. John’s to the Elite Eight with the players Fraschilla recruited, but when the team’s performance slipped and they became embroiled in off-the-court controversies, Jarvis was fired.
	 
Enter Roberts, who was coaching at Queens College. Roberts was known as a good guy who could recruit.
	 
“If they are going to get rid of a guy that brought this program from the basement to where they are now they better have a pretty good guy to replace him,” Fraschilla told The Post in between Big East tournament games today at the Garden, where he is working as an analyst for ESPN.
	 
St. John’s lost to Marquette 57-55 in the second round of the Big East Tournament on Wednesday. There has been no official word from St. John’s on Roberts’ fate as AD Chris Monasch says he will evaluate it after the season is over. And St. John’s season isn’t over yet as they could be selected for the NIT or more likely the College Basketball Invitational, which they played in last year losing in the first round to Richmond.
	 
St. John’s made strides under Roberts, who had to rebuild a program in shambles. But after six years, a 81-100 record and a no trips to the NCAA tournament, it appears Roberts’ ride is over.
	 
No matter who takes over, he will have an experienced team next year with senior starters D.J. Kennedy, Malik Boothe, Sean Evans and Paris Horne all likely returning along with key reserves Justin Burrell and Justin Brownlee.
	 
“Whoever is coaching St. John’s next year will have a lot of success, and I hope it’s Norm,” Fraschilla said.

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CollegeRPI: Seton Hall already in NCAA tournament

March 10, 2010 , ι By TIM BONTEMPS

The general opinion is that a win for 10th seeded Seton Hall tonight in the second round of the Big East tournament over seventh seeded Notre Dame will be enough to get the Pirates into the NCAA... Read on

The general opinion is that a win for 10th seeded Seton Hall tonight in the second round of the Big East tournament over seventh seeded Notre Dame will be enough to get the Pirates into the NCAA tournament. But one bracketologist, Jerry Palm, already has the Pirates inside of the field of 65.
	 
“Well, first of all it’s a weak field,” said Palm, who runs CollegeRPI.com and prognosticates both college football's BCS and the NCAA tournament. “So there are gonna be teams that are in mine and other fields that shouldn’t be.”
	 
“Now, I’m not sure one of those teams is Seton Hall. The thing about them is they don’t have any bad losses. They don’t have a great record against the top 50 and top 100, but a lot of teams don’t. Their worst loss is at Connecticut ... I wouldn’t call that a bad loss.”
	 
COLLEGE BLOG
	 
One reason that Palm said others may have been leaving Seton Hall out of the field in favor of teams like Notre Dame or South Florida is because of their respective finishes in the conference standings (Notre Dame finished seventh, South Florida ninth and Seton Hall 10th).
	 
“There is no ‘enough’ for teams in that part of the bracket,” Palm said. “I will tell you why no one else has Seton Hall in their bracket - because they are behind (Notre Dame and South Florida). Most people probably go by conference record when the Big East record is one of the most meaningless numbers in college basketball because of the unbalanced schedule.
	 
“The schedule has more to do with Seton Hall’s position in the conference standings rather than their actual performance.”
	 
With the number of bubble teams available, Palm said the Big East could get as few as seven teams to as many as 10, depending on what happens over the next few days both here and throughout the rest of the country. But to ensure that they get a ticket to the Big Dance, Palm had a simple piece of advice for the Pirates.
	 
“The only sure thing is to win the conference tournament. They may have already done enough, but while your depending on what other teams need to do, you’re not out of the woods yet.”

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Report: Carlesimo a candidate at Oregon

March 10, 2010 , ι POST STAFF REPORT

Former Seton Hall Final Four coach P.J. Carlesimo is a leading candidate to take over at the University of Oregon, according to The Oregonian."An athletic department source told The Oregonian that... Read on

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St. John's loses to Marquette by 2

March 10, 2010 , ι By JUSTIN TERRANOVA

St. John's missed a long 3-pointer at the buzzer and lost to Marquette 57-55 in the second round of the Big East tournament today.... Read on

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Star, goat and quote of the day from the Big East Tournament

March 09, 2010 , ι By JUSTIN TERRANOVA

Player of the day: Sean Evans -- In a game where D.J. Kennedy and Anthony Mason Jr. combined for 11 points, St. John’s needed someone to step up. Evans was that man as the junior forward scored 19... Read on

Player of the day: Sean Evans-- In a game where D.J. Kennedy and Anthony Mason Jr. combined for 11 points, St. John’s needed someone to step up. Evans was that man as the junior forward scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Evans muscled his way to the paint for hard-earned baskets throughout St. John‘s 73-51 win over Connecticut. The 19 points was a season high for Evans.
	 
Goat of the day: Kemba Walker- The Bronx native struggled in front of his hometown crowd shooting 4-of-17 from the floor. His backcourt mate Jerome Dyson was worse with more turnovers (nine) than points (four). But Walker was the key for Connecticut and he did not come through.
	 
Quote of the day:“I don’t if it removes the frustration (from struggles this season). I know it was a good win today. We also can’t celebrate on this win. Last year we were in the same position going against the same team in the next round, and they pretty much had their way with us. We have to have the same focus tomorrow.” - Malik Boothe, St. John’s guard on tomorrow’s game with Marquette, who beat the Red Storm 74-49 in the second round of last year’s Big East Tournament.

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St. John's crushes UConn by 22 at Big East tournament

March 09, 2010 , ι By JUSTIN TERRANOVA

St. John's defeated Connecticut, 73-51, in the first round of the Big East tournament today at the Garden and will face Marquette tomorrow.... Read on

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Report: 76ers' Iverson has serious problems with alcohol, gambling

March 08, 2010 , ι POST STAFF REPORT

It looks like the Knicks made at least one smart personnel decision this season.After a couple of weeks of speculation, the Knicks decided to pass on signing free agent guard Allen Iverson in... Read on

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Local college basketball rankings: Seton Hall, Fairfield have tourney hopes

March 08, 2010 , ι By JUSTIN TERRANOVA

Seton Hall and Fairfield still have a chance at the NCAA Tournament, but that’s it. The Stags have to win their conference final tonight, while the Pirates still have a chance at an at-large bid. 1.... Read on

Seton Hall and Fairfield still have a chance at the NCAA Tournament, but that’s it. The Stags have to win their conference final tonight, while the Pirates still have a chance at an at-large bid.
	 
1. Seton Hall (1) (18-11, 9-9 in Big East)— We may have written off the Pirates a little too early last week. They surprised us with back-to-back road wins against Rutgers and Provide to get to .500 in the Big East. Their easy non-conference schedule is a problem, but they are on the bubble. If they can make a run to the Big East Tournament semifinals, which means wins over Providence (likely), Notre Dame (possible) and Pittsburgh (stranger things have happened), they should get in. Even if they make it to the quarterfinals they have a chance if things break right around the country.
	 
Teams from mid-majors that are already getting at-large bids have to come through. Northern Iowa winning the Missouri Valley yesterday helped. Butler taking the Horizon League and Gonzaga taking down St. Mary’s in tonight’s WCC Final would also be great for Seton Hall’s chances.
	 
2. Fairfield (3) (22-9, 13-5 in MAAC)— The Stags have a chance at an automatic bid when they take on Siena in tonight’s MAAC Championship (7 p.m., ESPN2). It won’t be easy as the Saints play on their home floor and only lost once in the conference all season (@ Niagara). But Fairfield kept both matchups close losing by eight points in Albany and two points on their home floor. The Stags beat Canisius and Niagara to make it to the finals.
	 
3. Stony Brook (2) (22-9, 13-3 in America East Conference)— Poor shot selection and a little bit of nerves undid the Seawolves in a 70-63 loss to Boston University in the America East semifinals on Sunday. So, it’s on to the NIT for the regular-season champs.
	 
LAST WEEK'S RANKINGS
	 

	 
	 ST. JOHN'S WILL TRY TO BURST UCONN'S TOURNAMENT BUBBLE
	 
4. St. John's (6) (16-14, 6-12 in Big East)— The Red Storm won a triple-overtime thriller at DePaul to at least guarantee themselves a winning season. They will open the Big East Tournament on Tuesday afternoon (2 p.m., ESPN2) against UConn. A win there and they will take on Marquette in the quarterfinals.
	 
5. Hofstra (5) (19-14, 10-8 in Colonial Athletic Association)— The Pride won a 68-67 nail biter over Georgia State to make it to the CAA quarterfinals, but could not repeat it the following the day in a 74-71 loss to Northeastern. Hofstra finished the season strong with a 10-2 record.
	 
6. Rutgers (4) (15-16, 5-13 in Big East)— A disappointing end to the regular season for the Scarlet Knights with a home loss to Seton Hall and a 29-point loss at Pittsburgh. They get Cincinnati on Tuesday night in the first round of the Big East Tournament.
	 
7. Princeton (11) (19-8, 10-3 in Ivy League)— The Tigers earned wins over Dartmouth and Harvard this week, but Cornell clinched the Ivy League’s automatic bid for the third straight season. But if Princeton beats Penn to finish out the season, they will finish second in the Ivy, get their 20th win and likely be in a line for a spot in the NIT.
	 
8. Iona (7) (22-10, 12-6 in MAAC)— We warned that the Gaels needed to be on upset alert when they took on Niagara in the quarterfinals of the MAAC Tournament and unfortunately we were right. Iona fell to the Purple Eagles 68-64.
	 
9. LIU (9) (14-17, 11-7 in Northeast Conference)— The Blackbirds battled top-seeded Quinnipiac to the end Sunday afternoon, but lost 83-78 in the NEC semifinals.
	 
10. St. Peter's (8) (16-14, 11-7 in MAAC)— The Peacocks trailed Rider by 15 at halftime of their MAAC quarterfinal. They closed to six points at the six-minute mark before the Broncos pulled away.
	 
11. Fairleigh Dickinson (10) (11-21, 10-8 in Northeast Conference)— The Knights lost 63-61 to LIU in NEC quarters, but a strong finish to a year that started 1-
	 
12. Monmouth (12) (12-19, 8-10 in Northeast Conference)— The eighth-seeded Hawks actually led No. 1 seed Quinnipiac 50-48 with 12 minutes left in the NEC quarters, but lost 84-75 to end their season.
	 
13. St. Francis, N.Y. (13) (11-18, 8-10 in Northeast Conference)— The Terriers could have gotten into the conference tournament, but fell to Central Connecticut 68-56 on Saturday. St. Francis led by 10 in the second half, but couldn’t hold on and now look toward next season.
	 
14. Manhattan (15) (11-20, 4-14 in MAAC)— The Jaspers got out of the first round of the MAAC Tournament with a 94-79 win over Loyola, Md. and had a 16-4 lead on top-seeded Siena before reality hit. Manhattan eventually lost 78-61 to the Saints to end their season.
	 
15. NJIT (14) (9-20, 4-8 in Great West)— The Highlanders ended their season with three straight losses and did not reach double-digit wins.
	 
16. Columbia (16) (11-17, 5-9 in Ivy League)— Lions beat Brown to finish off the season sixth in the Ivy League.
	 
17. Army (17) (14-15, 4-10 in Patriot League)— Early-season wins over LIU, Princeton, Yale and Harvard was cause for optimism. A 4-10 Patriot League season, good enough for last, and a 19-point loss to top-seeded Lehigh in the conference tournament is not.
	 
18. Wagner (18) (5-26, 3-15 in Northeast Conference)— After the embarrassing loss to winless Bryant, the Seahawks finished their season on a winning note with an 81-76 victory over St. Francis, PA. They didn’t qualify for the NEC Tournament.
	 
19. Fordham (19) (2-26, 0-16 in Atlantic 10)— The Rams finished the year with 21 straight losses and now the coaching search begins as they were one of two teams not qualify for the A-10 Tournament.
	 
20. Marist (20) (1-29, 1-17 in MAAC)— The Red Foxes’ season ended with a 72-54 loss to Canisius in the opening round of the MAAC Tournament. Their only win this season came against Manhattan.

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Rhodes expected to be back with Jets, but wasn't meshing well

March 08, 2010 , ι POST STAFF REPORT

New Cardinals safety Kerry Rhodes says he had expected to be back with the Jets next season but that he and the team that eventually traded him weren’t meshing well in the end. Rhodes says the... Read on

New Cardinals safety Kerry Rhodes says he had expected to be back with the Jets next season but that he and the team that eventually traded him weren’t meshing well in the end.
	 
Rhodes says the Cardinals have given him a chance at a new beginning and an opportunity to provide leadership.
	 
The trade for two low-level draft picks hasn't hurt Rhodes' confidence at all. Sent packing Saturday, he says he can't wait to team with Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson in the Arizona secondary.
	 
"It will be me and Adrian (together),"
	 Rhodes wrote on his Twitter page. "There's no other tandem close."
	 
Rhodes will replace Antrel Rolle,
	 whom the Giants made one of the highest paid safeties in NFL history with a $37 million contract last week.The Giants are hopeful that teaming Rolle with Kenny Phillips will give them one of the best duos in the NFL.
	 
Teased about the Cardinals 20th-ranked defense, and Matt Leinart at quarterback, Rhodes replied, "We won't be 20th and Matt will be cool ..."
	 
Rhodes was flying from the West Coast today to meet with Cardinals officials and coaches.
	 
"Oh, I'm good and ready to help out a good team," Rhodes wrote.
	 
The Jets have three safeties remaining on their roster: James Ihedigbo, Jim Leonhard and Eric Smith, and are expected to pursue another through free agency or the draft.
	 
Rhodes was traded for a fourth-round pick in 2010 and a seventh-round pick in 2011.
	 
Though Rhodes' time in New York ended with reports of coaches and players down on him, he made sure to thank the fans on his way out.
	 
"To all my true fans thx for the support!" he wrote. "I love u guys and i will never forget u guys!"
	 
With AP